Letters

Trish and Darin Aren't Beautiful People...
By writing about Trish and Darin [Music, "No Respect," March 3], Brad Tyer has the courage to discuss a band to which he clearly does not hold musical allegiance, a quality not seen in any Houston music critic since the departure of the Public News' venerable poet, Elliot Mecham. However, this is where Tyer's courage ends.

If one point rings out the truth in Tyer's article on Trish and Darin, it's that Houston has a fragmented music scene. I beg to differ, though, about whether the scene accepts diversity. Although there are so many different things going on musically in Houston, the "scene" (i.e., those self-appointed taste arbiters) does not recognize this diversity, which could take Houston's musical reputation beyond the realm of Harris County. There are so many bands in Houston that cannot be pigeonholed into the city's two stranglehold scenes: the cover-band, frat-boy, scam-bar scene and the barely legal, "alternative," curfew crowd.

Rather than pursuing the "do your own thing" aspect of Trish and Darin, Tyer becomes a victim of his own insight by gravitating to the "alternative" teat that nursed him. When talking in the last paragraph about how Houston has not accepted T&D, to what "Houston" does he refer? Is it the self-appointed, self-congratulatory, "underground" scene that rounds up high school kids like cattle, feeding their egos until they exit their Piaget identity stage and shave off their goatees?

Regardless of whether or not you like Trish and Darin, one thing is clear -- they are not the "beautiful people," but the underdogs of the Houston music scene (maybe even the Buffalo Bills). Tyer doesn't look far enough past the blond locks and supportive upbringing. They go out every night and play to whoever wants to hear them, putting up with b.s. from club owners, management, music critics and an apathetic local scene. They deal with all of this and still manage to smile with a sincerity that no music snobs can match.

If every band in Houston had this same attitude, then we'd have a real scene. Whether or not they dredge up their own angst, the end result is still the same: they uplift people's spirits through their music. That's rock 'n' roll.

Kevin Timson
Houston

...But They're Still Ahead of Their Time
Thanks for your recent review of Trish and Darin. Has Mr. Tyer really gone to any of their shows or listened to their music? If not, I suggest he do so. After seeing Trish and Darin over 40 times, I can say they are still fresh and will continue to grow. They don't need critical acclaim. Critics are seldom, if ever, right about a band's current status or future potential.

Trish and Darin are one of Houston's hidden musical treasures and it is always a privilege to see them perform. Success has no timetable. This band is ahead of its time and Houston is lucky to have them now.

Michael Laman
Houston

Aww, Shucks
We've enjoyed reading the Press because of the interesting articles, the theater and movie reviews (as well as music and art) -- and especially for the good writing.

The paper owes a lot to the hard-working and creative staff, and mostly to the editor, Michael King. Keep up the good work!